Real Madrid enter race for €40m-rated wonderkid wanted by half of Europe | OneFootball

Real Madrid are positioning themselves early in the market, with reports suggesting that the club is closely tracking one of the most promising young midfielders in European football, namely, Ayyoub Bouaddi.

According to SPORT, the Spanish giants have been monitoring the 18-year-old Lille talent for quite some time. 

In fact, club representatives have already made multiple trips to France to follow the player closely and understand his situation.

Real Madrid intensify scouting efforts

The report highlights that officials from Real Madrid have travelled to Lille on three separate occasions. 

Interestingly, these visits were aimed not only at observing Bouaddi’s performances but also at making initial contact and gathering insight into his availability.

However, as expected, Madrid are fully aware that they are not alone in this pursuit.

As per the outlet, alongside Los Blancos, the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Manchester United, Barcelona, Juventus, and Liverpool are all said to be tracking the midfielder closely.

Price tag and contract situation

Bouaddi is currently valued at around €40 million by Transfermarkt.

Ayyoub Bouaddi is wanted by half of Europe. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images)

However, it must be noted that this figure has slightly dropped from earlier estimates this season. 

Despite that decrease, though, his long-term contract with Lille until 2029 puts the Ligue 1 club in a strong negotiating position.

This means that any interested club will not only have to meet Lille’s financial demands but also convince the player that their project is the right step for his development.

The French connection

As per the outlet, one element that could work in Real Madrid’s favour is the growing French core within their squad, such as Aurelien Tchouameni, Kylian Mbappe, Eduardo Camavinga and Ferland Mendy.

The presence of familiar faces and a strong French connection could play a decisive role when Bouaddi weighs up his options.

Ultimately, the decision will rest with the player, but the battle to secure his signature is expected to be intense. 

With multiple elite clubs involved, negotiations are likely to turn into a bidding war.

Note: Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication